Nissan Matic D, good replacement?

[Zack1978]

Hi everyone,
I want to do a trans service on my 1996 Nissan Maxima. I am not doing a complete flush as there is no need, so I will only be replacing 4 or 5 quarts of ATF. What would the best option be for a fluid? I don't think I can justify the high cost of Amsoil for this car, so what are some other good options? I don't want to run Wal Mart ATF.


Thanks,
Zack

 

[razel]

Valvoline MaxLife ATF. It will say Matic D compatible on the back. It tends to be on the thinner side, but I enjoyed it's crispness in transmission and smoothness in power streering in my Infinitis.

If you want no surprizes, the Castrol Import ATF that says Matic D compatible is another replacement. In my opinion is a closer match to the original fluid since I found no difference when I used it in several Infiniti and Nissan transmissions and power steering.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Zack1978
I don't want to run Wal Mart ATF.


Thanks,
Zack


Why not?

 

[BISCUT]

MaxLife should be a ok for you. I use it to replace Matic S in 10 Armada. The bottle says it covers Matic D as well.

 

[Rtstrider]

I just did a drain/fill in an 00 sentra with over 200k, using maxlife atf, and so far so good. This was back in August. I dare say it actually shifts better than what was in there.

 

[Greasymechtech]

Any import, universal, or multivehicle ATF that mention JASO or maticD on the bottle or spec sheet can be used. Blends and synths should be considered.

Mobil1 is great. RedLine, Amsoil, Peak, Castrol, Pennzoil, Royalpurple, Lubegard, Eneos, Amalie, Valvoline, Torco,... are some choices.

 

[Voltmaster]

maxlife +1

 

[CharBaby]

In my '04 Altima that requires Nissan Matic-D, I have used the OE, Mobil 1 ATF, Castrol IMV and now, MaxLife ATF. It's all good!

 

[tommygunn]

Nissan Matic D is just Dexron III. Almost any ATF will serve you well, from the popular Maxlife, Castrol multi, and Mag-1 Low-Vis, all good choices.

And there's nothing wrong with Walmart ATF, either. It will also be OK.

Question: how long do you plan on running it, and how many miles on the car now? When was the ATF last changed?

 

[Zack1978]

I am the original owner, and I usually do a trans service every year (about 15,000 miles per year). The car has an unknown amount of mileage, since the odometer does not record every mile...only works when it feels like it.....but it reads 161,000 miles. I bet it is much closer to 200,000. Will the Maxlife be compatible with the fluid currently in the trans?

 

[michaelluscher]

Maxlife is a superb replacement for Matic D, which is just glorified Dex3. Also great in any predominantly import power steering system that calls for any generic Dex/Merc fluid, it's a good upgrade.

 

[MaximaGuy]

MaticD is a pretty simple formulation, DexIII will be a good substitute w/ a dose of friction modifiers.

Castrol MV ATF held well on my maxima, Mercon V also held up well.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted By: Zack1978
Hi everyone,
I want to do a trans service on my 1996 Nissan Maxima. I am not doing a complete flush as there is no need, so I will only be replacing 4 or 5 quarts of ATF. What would the best option be for a fluid? I don't think I can justify the high cost of Amsoil for this car, so what are some other good options? I don't want to run Wal Mart ATF.


Thanks,
Zack


Use the Nissan Matic D. I know Its a very old ATF and if you use the wrong ATF that has to much ZINC can cause problems... read below, that is from NISSAN Site. I just hate to read horror stories or a person trying to save 10$ and using SuperTech ATF or even a good After market ATF and it ends up causing problems. I myslef have wanted to use Valvoline Max Life in my Honda but stopped myself. I 1 time used Castrol Full Syn Transmax that says on bottle for Honda and I got lucky.. However I will never do that again... Read this below and perhaps this will help you.

Here is some info I found about Matic D

Matic D

Matic D is the oldest of the Nissan AT fluids. Nissans
Matic D is an ashless petroleum-based ATF
with low zinc content. The ash in other fluids may
cause a change in friction response. Zinc may adhere
to the clutch linings and cause slippage and damage. In
a pinch, Dexron III can be used. However, Dexron III is
a GM specification and trademark, and while it is the
most similar to Nissan Matic D, it is not necessarily the
same. Matic D is competitively priced and it’s always
the safest bet for Nissan cars requiring Matic D

Also I know people who specialize in Imports, I know several techs who work at a Repair Garage called THE J.A.P SHOP..... J.A.P Stands for Japanese Automotive Professionals and they have told me they trust Beck/Arnley for FLUIDS and Parts 100%. Here are the specs to the NISSAN MATIC D via Beck/Arnley and they should be the same as Dealer Nissan Matic D however I cant find the specs online.. However I wouldnt be surprised if they were the exact same. Also the zinc thing would really bother me if I were you, I know some ATF use Zinc to help combat wear

Appearance Red Clear
Flash Point oC (oF) 200 (392)
Pour Point oC (oF)
-50 (-58)
Viscosity at 40oC 34.5 cSt

Viscosity at 100oC 7.3 cSt
Viscosity Index 182
Dynamic Viscosity at -40oC 30.69
Density at 15oC 0.85

to:
Make Reference Number
Nissan 999MP-AA100P (Matic D),

Also Beck/Arnley is the only 1 the is OE approved for use in Honda and Acura and like I said I know Techs that swear by Beck/Arnley. You can find good deals on it on Amazon or Ebay. Also there parts are perfect, If you look on YouTube a guy compares factory parts to Beck/Arnley parts then compares them to HIGH QUALITY after market parts and you can see a difference.
Also check this out the pics below.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: David1
Nissans
Matic D is an ashless petroleum-based ATF
with low zinc content.


Shrug, all modern ATF are low zinc. Check UOAs, they have P and Ca, but no Zn.

 

[MaximaGuy]

Nissan Transmissions are superb at least the one I had and it would take all abuse of fluids from Dex III. Never put in OEM fluid and the OTC fluids were just fine.

Nissan transmission would rarely flare and were crisp till I traded it w/ 200K on the odometer.

Everything other than their transmissions suck, specially their engines.

 

[Nayov]

My Nissan has almost 300,000, all of it done with M1 ATF.
I wouldn't go out of my way for D-matic.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: Nayov
....I wouldn't go out of my way for D-matic.

This.

Another recommendation for MaxLife. Running it two Hondas and Tacoma. My first choice.

But, if you still don't want to go ML, go with Castrol Import Multi Vehicle. Also recommended for Nissan Matic D, reasonably priced and available at some Wallys and even Dollar Generals around here.

 

[MolaKule]

I would not call "shift shock" a momentary loss in [P}OWER."

Shift shock is a delayed shift with a "slamming" into gear caused by internal pressure fluctuations which cause the clutch plate pressure to peak momentarily.

 

[bowlofturtle]

Ive done 2 ATF fluid changes on my 98 maxima.

*I did one i got at the car at 50k. USED OEM MATIC-D.
*Did another at 90-100k with 2qts of MATIC-D (left over) and 2QT of random DEX3.

Now i plan to do another with Castrol import ATF.



My G35's Transfer case requested Matic D. I put Redline D4 in their at 60k. The ATF was Matic-J and i did that twice, with Matic J because i got a case.

Matic S is king now, should work for Matic D,J,K. But Maxlife and Castrol ATF is what i'll be using from now on.


Matic D is pretty generic fluid. Even people at the dealerships back then didn't really stock Matic D.

 

[VK56VD]

You can also use the more modern Matic J fluid as it is backwards compatible with the Matic D.


I owned a '99 Maxima before and the transmission in them are tough. Keep up on the fluid changes every 15k miles and the transmission will outlast the car. So will the engine as it is virtually bulletproof.

The rust will get the car before the engine and transmission if kept up properly. Keep an eye on the radiator support as those are a common problem with rusting.

Any compatible trans fluid will work. I used Matic D in the beginning of ownership and then later switched to Amsoil ATF. Whatever you choose to use, you can use the same for power steering fluid by siphoning the reservoir periodically.